The long, straight timber needed for masts differed from the wood used in a ship's sides. Norway and Canada supplied high-quality mast timber, while much hull timber came from forests in the United Kingdom. Unusual surviving dock shapes at Portsmouth preserve evidence of the infrastructure once used to season masts and other wood in salt water. Wooden fleets depended on forestry, trade, storage, and dockyard preparation long before a ship entered battle.
Notable Point · 1:40:03-1:40:55
Mast timber, hull wood, and salt-water seasoning
An Age of Sail warship depended on a multinational timber supply and dockyard infrastructure that prepared wood for service.